The present invention relates to an under-vehicle trailer hitch and tow bar having a coupling point near the position of vehicle rear bumper at which the trailer may be separated from its towing vehicle. The invention transfers the pivot point of the tow bar from near the rear bumper of the towing vehicle to the position of the axis of the rear wheels. The prior art does include various tow bars which are designed to attach to the towing vehicle near the rear wheels axis of the towing vehicle to provide greater control of the trailer and thereby a greater degree of safety. Some prior art devices which have attempted to solve the problem of accessibility of the coupling and uncoupling procedure for a coupling point located near or above the rear axle of the towing vehicle include gooseneck and fifth wheel-type hitches. However, these attempts at solving the placement and accessibility problems have resulted in substantial and unsightly modifications to the towing vehicle as well as the loss of the use of a substantial amount of the space of the towing vehicle. Additionally, these prior art devices cannot be used on vehicles which have no open bed in which their mounts can be placed. This leaves a large category of vehicles in which the typical gooseneck and fifth wheel hitch cannot be used. The present invention overcomes the difficulties associated with these types of hitches, and, also attaches to the towing vehicle with a minimal reduction of the towing vehicle normal utility. Prior trailer hitches and tow bars have also suffered from problems associated with transferring the trailer weight-bearing point to a location adjacent to the axis of the rear wheels of the towing vehicle.
These problems include the difficulty with which the trailers and towing vehicles were coupled and uncoupled, together with the problems associated with the different rear bumper-to-axle distance on different towing vehicles. The present invention overcomes both these difficulties in that it provides a convenient coupling and uncoupling procedure with the coupling near the rear bumper of the towing vehicle and easily accessible by the operator.
In certain embodiments the invention also accommodates different sizes of towing vehicles in that it is adjustable in its total horizontal length.